By Kristine Hamlyn
Memorial University must be doing something right. First-year
student, Meghan Mitchell, speaks very highly of Memorial,
a place she is now proud to call her own.

Ms. Mitchell, a 19 year-old from Pickering, Ontario, began
researching potential universities while only in Grade 9.
At the time, she hadn’t considered the possibility
of leaving her home province. However, as a student in the
last Grade 13 class to graduate from Ontario high schools,
Meghan found herself in the middle of Ontario’s double
cohort. Of interest to post-secondary institutions all over
the country, students in Ontario’s 2003 graduating
class (Grade 12 and 13) quickly became an attractive market
for increased advertising and promotion efforts from Canadian
universities and colleges.

“My friends and I were a little concerned about the
double cohort. We weren’t sure how it would affect
our acceptance,” explained Ms. Mitchell. “Following
the advice of our guidance counsellor we decided to check
out several options, both inside and outside of Ontario.”

Ms. Mitchell spent time researching the individual Web sites
of Canadian universities, contacting university recruitment
offices and requesting information, both about the institution
and on programs of specific interest.

Ms. Mitchell first found out about Memorial University of
Newfoundland through Maclean’s magazine.
Her first personal line of contact with Memorial was with
student recruitment officer Gordon Delaney at an Atlantic
Canadian University Fair. “He was just so enthusiastic
about Memorial, it made me want to learn more. He was so
helpful and answered every question I asked with such pride,
it was great.”

Ms. Mitchell applied to Memorial and several other universities
in December 2002. “I received provisional acceptance
from Memorial University in January 2003. It was a great
feeling to find out so early. I didn’t hear from the
others until the final acceptance letters came out the following
June.” Ms. Mitchell further went on to express her
appreciation for Memorial’s constant contact during
this time. “I received something from Memorial about
every two or three weeks. Whether it was an information
package or a follow-up to something sent previous, it served
as a constant reminder and proof that they cared about my
attendance.”

Ms. Mitchell went on to visit several of the universities
she had applied to personally. University of Toronto, Queens,
York, Nipissing, Ryerson, McGill, Waterloo, Dalhousie, McMaster,
Memorial, Laurentian, Saint Mary’s, Winsor and Western
were all on her list.

“I was amazed at the difference between Memorial and
the other universities,” said Ms. Mitchell. “Most
only gave tours which catered to large groups, some even
had tour ‘days’ allotted,” she explained.
Ms. Mitchell went on to express her disappointment in not
getting to visit the facilities she was most interest in,
or having the opportunity to ask the questions she had.
Memorial was the last of Ms. Mitchell’s university
tours. “It was just a refreshing experience. At Memorial
I was treated as an individual, I was given a tour of the
residence I was interested in, the buildings and facilities
I wanted to see and the opportunity to ask the questions
I wanted to ask.”

Ms. Mitchell arrived at Memorial’s St. John’s
campus on Labor Day weekend. Delighted with her choice,
Ms. Mitchell simply loves the beauty of St. John’s,
the close-knit residence community, the closeness of most
amenities and the friendliness of her professors, faculty
advisor and other students.